After 5 deaths in 2012, no cases of swine flu so far this year

February 12th, 2013 (InsideCostaRica.com) Costa Rica’s Health Ministry reported that the country closed last year with 49 cases of H1N1 influenza, which has come to become known as “swine flu,” resulting in five deaths.

Swine flu was listed as a global pandemic in 2009 and has killed thousands of people worldwide, including one victim this week in Argentina.

According to the Ministry, the number of cases in Costa Rica has diminished over the years, and so far they have no reports of infection this year.

“This does not mean that the virus is gone, it is still present,” said Roberto Castro from the Health Ministry. However, Castro said there are fewer cases likely because a good portion of the population has now been vaccinated against the virus.

Moreover, Castro said that by this time last year, the H3ND flu virus – a different strain – had already killed 3 people. There were 263 reported cases and four deaths attributed to the H3ND strain last year.

Although the number of patients affected by these flus continues to decrease, the Health Ministry insists on the importance of vaccination.